Method of feeding strands to textile machines



J. R. WHITEHURSTY 3,337,923

Aug; 29, 1967 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1984 Aug. 29, 1-967 J. R. WHITEHURST METHOD OF FEEDING STRANDS 'IO TEXTILE MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1964 v M m United States Patent Ofifice 3,337,923 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3,337,923 METHOD OF FEEDING STRANDS T TEXTILE MACHINES Joe R. Whitehurst, Bessemer City, N.C., assignor to Ideal Industries, Inc., Bessemer City, NC, a corporation of North Carolina Filed Oct. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 407,321 3 Claims. (Cl. 19-236) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for feeding and guiding strands or slivers to textile machines and more particularly to a method and apparatus for aiding in withdrawing textile strands from supply sources and for aiding in feeding the strands to the textile machine while guidingly supporting the strands in a predetermined path of travel toward the textile machine. The present strand feeding means is in the form of an improved creel particularly adapted for use with a textile draw frame having a drafting zone and evener means positioned at the entrance end of the drafting zone.

In this type of draw frame, the evener means normally draws the strands from the supply sources and over a creel having fixed yarn guiding passageways. The evener means is adapted to feed the strands into the drafting zone at variable rates, in accordance with variations in the mass of strands fed into the machine, so that a drafted sliver having uniform mass throughout its length is produced by the drawing frames. However, this type of creel is not desirable because it creates frictional drag on the strands and can cause some of the strands to be undesirably tensioned and stretched.

Strand guiding means in the form of positive drive power creels have heretofore been used with draw frames to withdraw the strands from the supply sources and feed the same to the draw frame at a fixed and constant rate of speed. However, a positive drive power creel cannot be successfully used with a draw frame having evener means at the entrance of the drafting zone because the requirements of the drafting zone vary, in accordance with any variation in the mass of the strands being fed thereto.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for aiding in withdrawing textile strands from their supply sources and for aiding in guidingly supporting the strands in their path of travel to a textile machine by slippingly engaging the strands with lifter rolls having their strand engaging portions rotating at a speed in excess of the rate of travel of the strands to the textile machine so that drag on the strands is reduced and the strands are not unduly tensioned and stretched.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide strand feeding means of the type described which comprises an improved creel having transversely disposed and spaced apart rotatable strand lifter rolls extending rearwardly of the drafting zone of the draw frame and .above the strand supply sources, the lifter rolls having moved at a speed in excess of the rate that the strands are drawn from the supply sources by the draw frame so that the lifter rolls aid in lifting the strands from the supply sources and also aid in feeding the strands by reducing the frictional drag on the strands as they are drawn over succeeding lifter rolls in their path of travel to the draw frame.

It is a further specific object of the present invention to provide an improved creel of the type described wherein the drive means for the lifter rolls is directly connected to the drive means of the draw frame by an arrangement of intermeshing gears which may be easily changed to thereby change the rate of speed that the lifter rolls are driven, relative to the rate that the strands are fed to the drafting zone by the evener motion, so that the creel may be utilized to aid in feeding different types of textile strands of different sizes and mass.

It is yet another specific object of the present invention to provide an improved creel of the type described which may be economically constructed and easily applied to existing textile strand processing machines, such as draw frames, and wherein the rotating lifter rolls have strand guilding passageways that are formed by strand engaging barrel sections which are substantially hexagonal in crosssection and enlarged collars positioned at each end of each barrel section.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a drawing frame with the improved strand feeding creel of the present invention attached thereto and extending rearwardly therefrom;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the power creel, taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1, and with the left-hand portion in elevation and the right-hand portion in vertical sectional view;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2, with portions broken away for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a somewhat schematic isometric view illustrating the manner in which the drive for the improved creel isconnected to the drive of the drawing frame.

In the present application, the improved creel is shown associated with a drawing frame, however, it is to be understood that the creel may also be used to aid in feeding textile strands to other types of textile processing machines. The drawing frame (FIGURE 1) includes end frames 10 and 11 that support two identical and conventional sections of drafting instrumentalities.

Each section of drafting instrumentalities includes a set of upper drafting rolls, indicated at 12 in FIGURE 1, and aset of lower drafting rolls, only two of which are shown at 13 in FIGURE 5. The upper and lower drafting rolls define side-by-side drafting zones through which the fibers pass for processing. As is well known, the upper and lower sets of drafting rolls are driven at progressively increasing speeds for attenuating and drafting the fibers of the two groups of strands or slivers as they are passed therebetween.

The drawing frame is provided with evener means for drawing the strands into the drafting zones at a variable rate from the supply sources in accordance with any variation in the mass of the strands entering the drafting zone. The evener means may be of any suitable type that include means for sensing variations in the mass of the strands entering the drafting zones and means for varying the rate of speed that the strands are drawn into the drafting zones, in accordance with the sensed variations in the mass of the strands.

In the present instance, the evener means includes the rearmost upper and lower drafting rolls 12 and 13, schematically shown in FIGURE 5. These rearmost drafting rolls 12 and 13 are fluted with the upper fluted roll 12 riding on the lower fluted roll 13 in intermeshing relationship so that the strands passing therebetween follow a sinuous path between the flutes of the rolls. The upper fluted roll is floating and a suitable weight member 12a-(FIGURE 5) is suitably attached to the upper fluted roll 12 and exerts a predetermined downward pressure thereagainst. Under normal circumstances, the flutes of the two rolls intermesh to a predetermined extent so that the strands passing therethrough will be fed at a certain rate. In the event that the mass of the strands passing between the fluted rolls is reduced, the intermeshing relationship of the two rolls is increased, thereby increasing the sinuous path that the strand must follow as it is drawn into the textile machine so that it is fed at a faster rate of speed than it would be if it followed the less sinuous path. On the other hand, if the mass of the strands passing between the rolls 12, 13 increases, the rolls 12, 13 will be forced further apart so that the intermeshing relationship of the flutes of the rolls is decreased and therefore the sinuous path followed by the strands is decreased to reduce the rate of feed of the strands to the drafting zone.

After the strands or slivers pass through the drafting zone and between rolls 12, 13, they are guided through guide tubes 14 and into the conventional trumpet, calender rolls and tube gear, to be deposited in the coiler can, not shown. The drive mechanism of the drawing frame includes an electric drive motor 16 (FIGURE 1) which is connected to one side of an electromagnetic clutch 17. The electromagnetic clutch 17 may be one of several types that are commercially available, such as one manufactured by Stearns Electric Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., under their No. 5.5 SMR, and illustrated in their drawing N0. C 1 J, dated May 17, 1961.

The other side of the electromagnetic clutch 17 is connected to a guide pulley 20 that is engaged by a drive belt 21. A drive pulley 22 is engaged by the belt 21 and is suitably connected to conventional drive gears in a housing 23. When the electromagnetic clutch 17 is energized, rotation will be imparted to the pulley 20, the drive belt 21, the drive pulley 22 and the drive gears in the housing 23. The drive gears in the housing 23 impart rotation to the drafting rolls 12, 13 and to a set of drive gears in a gear housing 25 (FIGURE 1) so that the successive sets of drafting rolls are rotated in the proper timed relationship. The drive gears in the gear housing 2.3 also impart rotation to the coiler cans, tube gear and calender rolls in a well-known manner.

The drive gears in the gear housing 25 are schematically shown in FIGURE 5 and include a gear 26 fixed on the shaft of the intermediate lower drafting roll 13, a composite intermediate gear having gear faces 27 and 27 and a gear 28 that meshes with the gear face 27a and is fixed on the rearrnost lower drafting roll shaft. The drive for the power creel of the present invention is taken from the gear 28, in a manner to be later described.

The drawing frame is provided with an apron 30 (FIG- URE 2) which is suitable supported between the end frame members and 11 and extend rearwardly from beneath the sets of drafting rolls 12, 13 and supports the front end of the improved creel of the present invention. The creel extends rearwardly of the drawing frame and includes a main drive housing 32 that is substantially in the shape of an inverted U in cross-section. The forward end of the main drive housing 32 is tapered downwardly as at 32a (FIGURE 2) and is suitably secured to the rear portion of the apron 30. The main drive housing 32 is supported at spaced positions therealong by suitable sup port standards, not shown, the lower portions of which are supported on the floor and the upper portions of which are suitably connected to the main drive housing 32.

A series of transversely disposed and spaced apart to tating strand lifter rolls, each broadly designated at 35, extends rearwardly along opposite sides of they main drive housing 32. The strand lifter rolls are suitably supported on the main drive housing 32, in a manner to be presently described. The lifter rolls 35 are rotated with operation of the drawing frame and in timed relationship to rotation of the drafting rolls 12, 13 to aid in lifting successive strands or slivers, indicated at S1 through 5-8, from the successive sets of supply cans, indicated at C in FIGURE 1. The supply cans C are positioned beneath the corresponding lifter rolls 35. As is best shown in FIGURE 1, a strand is picked up from each of the supply cans C by one of the lifter rolls and is then guided forwardly as it passes over successive lifter rolls before it passes into the corresponding drafting zone of the drawing frame.

A main drive shaft 40 is suitably supported within the main drive housing 32 by spaced apart bearing members 41, the upper ends of which are suitably secured to the horizontal portion of the main drive housing 32 (FIG- URE 2). The main drive shaft 40 extends rearwardly throughout the length of the main drive housing 32 and the forward end has a drive sprocket 42 fixed thereon. A chain 43 (FIGURE 2) engages the sprocket 42 and a sprocket 44 that is fixed on the shaft of a right-angle gear unit 45. The right-angle gear unit 45 is suitably supported on the horizontal portion of a bracket 46 that is connected at its upper end to the main drive housing 32.

A drive shaft 47 is connected at one end to the rightangle gear unit 45 (FIGURE 5) and its other end has a sprocket 48 and a sprocket, not shown, on the rear face of a drive gear 50. The drive gear 50 is connected to the drive gear 28 by means of an intermediate change gear 51. Thus, the main drive shaft 40 of the power creel is driven from the gear 28 that is fixed on the rear-most lower fluted drafting roll 13 so that the lifter rolls 35 are ro tated in timed relationship with the evener motion and the drafting rolls. The rotational speed of the lifter rolls 35 may be varied by simply removing the change gear 51 and replacing it with a larger or smaller gear to thereby vary the speed transmitted from the gear 28 to the gear 50.

Helical drive gears 52 are fixed along the main drive shaft 40, at each set of lifter rolls 35, and drivingly engage corresponding helical drive gears 53. The drive gears 53 are fixed to the medial portions of successive lifter roll drive shafts 54. The successive lifter roll drive shafts 54 are each supported and rotated in an identical manner and therefore only one of the drive shafts will be described and the remaining drive shafts will bear like reference characters.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the lifter roll drive shaft 54 extends through the vertical flanges at opposite sides of the main drive housing 32 and is rotatably supported in bearings 55 that are suitably secured to the drive housing 32. The lifter roll drive shaft 54 extends outwardly from opposite sides of the main drive housing 32 and supports the corresponding lifter roll 35 at each side of the drive housing 32.

Only one of the lifter rolls 35 has been illustrated in detail in FIGURES 3 and 4, however, the remaining lifter rolls are identical except that they are successively shortened by one guide passageway as they are spaced rearwardly of the drawing frame, as best illustrated in FIG- URE 1. The lifter roll 35 (FIGURE 3) includes a pair of end collars 56 which have outwardly extending hubs that are suitably secured for longitudinal adjustment on the roll drive shaft 54, as by set screws 57. A series of strand separator collars 58 and a series of lifter roll barrel secstrand guide passageways through which the strands are guided upwardly from the corresponding supply cans C and then forwardly into the corresponding drafting zones of the drawing frame in side-by-side, spaced apart relationship along a substantially horizontal path.

Usually, eight strands are guided into each roll section of the drawing frame from the lifter roll 35 nearest the drawing frame so that each section of the drawing frame receives eight strands from the creel. However, the lifter rolls 35 may be of suflicient length to accommodate any desired number of strands.

It will be noted in FIGURE 3 that the outermost end collar 56 aids in guiding the strand upwardly from the supply cans C and since the supply cans C are usually spaced outwardly from beneath the ends of the lifter rolls 35, a C-shaped guide bracket 62 (FIGURES 2 and 3) is positioned in alinement with end collar 56.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the guide bracket 62 curves upwardly and in spaced relationship behind the end collar 56 and its lower end is suitably secured on one end of a cross-bar support 63. The medial portion of the crossbar support 63 (FIGURE 3) is suitably secured to the lower portions of the vertical flanges of the main drive housing 32. The lower edges of the vertical flanges of the main drive housing 32 are suitably secured together by suitable tie rods 64 (FIGURES 2 and 3).

It is preferred that each of the lifter roll barrel segments 59 be substantially hexagonal in cross-section (FIGURE 4) with the corners rounded ofl to somewhat reduce the frictional engagement of the surface of the barrel portion with the strands as they are lifted from the cans C and as the strands are moved forwardly and engage the successive lifter rolls 35'.

In accordance with the present invetion, the lifter roll barrel segments 59 have a peripheral speed in excess of the average speed that the strands are drawn into the drafting zones by the fluted rolls 12, 13 at the entrance end of the corresponding drafting zones. However, there is sufficient slippage between the barrel segments 59 and the strands that the strands are not over-fed to the drawing frame.

The strand resists being initially lifted from the supply can because it is married to the loops of strand remaining in the can. The excessive peripheral speed of the barrel section 59 slippingly engaging the strand aids in initially lifting the strand from the can. As the strand moves forwardly and is engaged by the successive barrel segments rotating at a speed in excess of the rate of travel of the strand, the slipping engagement of the barrel segments also aids in feeding the strand to prevent stretching of the strand and reduce frictional drag thereon. Since the barrel segments 59 have a substantially hexagonal (Ollifll surface, the strand is maintained in what may be termed a semi-floating state, which further aids in reducing the frictional drag on the strand.

The peripheral speed of the strand engaging surfaces of the barrel segments 59 is always higher than the rate of feed of the strands to the drafting zone. However, the amount of excess speed may be varied to provide the proper feed of the strands, bearing in mind that if too much slippage occurs between the barrel segments and the strand, the strands will be stretched and placed under objectionable tension and if not enough slippage occurs, the strands will be fed forwardly at a faster rate than they can be processed in the drafting zone. The proper rotational speed of the lifter roll depends upon the friction characteristics of the surface of the barrel segments 59 and the type and weight of the strands being drafted. In all cases, the peripheral speed of the strand engaging surfaces of lifter rolls is in excess of the rate of speed that the strands are drawn from the supply sources by the fluted rolls so that there must be some degree of slipping engagement of the strands by the barrel segments 59. .5 As an illustrative but non-limiting example, it has been found that when a drawing frame with an evener motion thereon is set up to draw 60 grain cotton slivers into the drafing zone at a rate of 100 .feet per minute, the barrel segments 59 should be about one and one-half inches across flats and they must be rotated with a peripheral speed of about 115 to 125 feet per minute. Thus, the barrel segments 59 slippingly engage the strand with an excess speed of about 15 to 25 feet per minute. In this example, if the barrel segments engaged the strands S without any slippage, they would feed the strands to the drawing frame at an excess rate so that the strands would pile up on the floor between the last lifter roll 35 and the drafting zone. However, there is sufficient slippage between the barrel segments 59 and the strands that the strands are fed forwardly at a rate which is less than the rate at which the strands are pulled into the drafting zones by the rear evener rolls 12, 13.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of feeding a bank of textile strands from supply sources to the drafting zone of a textile machine, the textile machine having strand feeding means at the entrance end of the drafting zone, said method comprising the steps of (a) drawing the strands from the supply sources and feeding the strands into the drafting zone at a predetermined rate by means of the drafting zone feeding means,

(b) while guidingly directing the strands in a predetermined path of travel over spaced apart rotating members each having a non-circular strand engaging surface, positioned between the supply sources and the drafting zone,

-(c) while imparting a semi-floating condition to the strands by rotating the strand engaging surfaces of the rotating members at a peripheral speed in excess of the predetermined rate that the strands are being fed into the drafting zone to aid in separating compressed and married strands at the source, and

((1) while slippingly engaging the strands passing over the rotating members to such a degree that the linear speed imparted to the strands by the rotating members is less than the predetermined rate that the strands are being fed into the drafting zone whereby the rotating members aid in feeding the strands to the drafting zone without overfeeding the same.

2. A method of feeding a bank of textile strands from supply sources to the drafting zone of a textile machine, the textile machine having strand feeding evener means 60 at the entrance end of the drafting zone, said method comprising the steps of (a) drawing the strands from the supply sources and feeding the strands into the drafting zone at a variable rate in accordance with variations in the mass of the strands and by means of the feeding evener means,

(b) while guidingly directing the strands in a predetermined path of travel over spaced apart rotating members each having a non-circular strand engaging surface, positioned between the supply sources and the drafting zone,

(c) while imparting a semi-floating condition to the strands by rotating the strand engaging surfaces of the rotating members at a peripheral speed in excess of the variable rate that the strands are being fed into the drafting zone to aid in separating compressed and married strands at the source, and

((1) while slippingly engaging the strands passing over the rotating members to such a degree that the linear speed imparted to the strands by the rotating members is less than the variable rate that the strands are being fed into the drafting zone whereby the rotating members aid in feeding the strands to the drafting zone without overfeeding the same.

the drafting zone whereby the lifter rolls aid in feeding the strands to the drafting zone without overfeeding the same.

3. A method of feeding a bank of textile strands in 10 coiled form from supply cans to the drafing zone of a drawing frame, the drawing fame having strand feeding evener means at the entrance end of the drafting zone, and an elongate creel extending rearwardly of the drawing frame and above the supply cans, the creel including a 15 series of transversely disposed and spaced apart rotatable References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS strand lifter rolls each having a series of flat strand g g ';*""""'f 555 engaging surfaces, said method comprising the steps of 2997749 8/1961 V611 S 157 (a) drawing the coiled strands from the supply cans a and feeding the strands into the drafting zone at a 20 FOREIGN PATENTS variable rate in accordance with variations in the 508,309 12/1964 Canada mass of the strands and by means of the feeding evener means,

(b) while guidingly directing the strands upwardly from the supply cans and then forwardly in a pre- 25 determined path of travel over the rotatable lifter rolls and to the drafting zone,

(0) while imparting a semi-floating condition to the strands by rotating the lifter rolls at such a speed OTHER REFERENCES Saco-Lowell Bulletin, March 1953, page 29. Saco-Lowell Bulletin, April 1962, page 10.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF FEEDING A BANK OF TEXTILE STRANDS FROM SUPPLY SOURCES OF THE DRAFTING ZONE OF A TEXTILE MACHINE, THE TEXTILE MACHINE HAVING STRAND FEEDING MEANS AT THE ENTRANCE END OF THE DRAFTING ZONE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) DRAWING THE STRANDS FROM THE SUPPLY SOURCES AND FEEDING THE STRANDS INTO THE DRAFTING ZONE AT A PREDETERMINED RATE BY MEANS OF THE DRAFTING ZONE FEEDING MEANS, (B) WHILE GUIDINGLY DIRECTING THE STRANDS IN A PREDETERMINED PATH OF TRAVEL OVER SPACED APART ROTATING MEMBERS EACH HAVING A NON-CIRCULAR STRAND ENGAGING SURFACE, POSITIONED BETWEEN THE SUPPLY SOURCES AND THE DRAFTING ZONE, (C) WHILE IMPARTING A SEMI-FLOATING CONDITION TO THE STRANDS BY ROTATING THE STRAND ENGAGING SURFACES OF THE ROTATING MEMBERS AT A PERIPHERAL SPEED IN EXCESS OF THE PREDETERMINED RATE THAT THE STRANDS ARE BEING FED INTO THE DRAFTING ZONE TO AID IN SEPARATING COMPRESSED AND MARRIED STRANDS AT THE SOURCE, AND (D) WHILE SLIPPINGLY ENGAGING THE STRANDS PASSING OVER THE ROTATING MEMBERS TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT THE LINEAR SPEED IMPARTED TO THE STRANDS BY THE ROTATING MEMBERS IS LESS THAN THE PREDETERMINED RATE THAT THE STRANDS ARE BEING FED INTO THE DRAFTING ZONE WHEREBY THE ROTATING MEMBERS AID IN FEEDING THE STRANDS TO THE DRAFTING ZONE WITHOUT OVERFEEDING THE SAME. 